Narrative:

I retrieved an amended clearance from sfo clearance delivery instead of customary pre departure clearance. Captain was monitoring frequency. However, captain was interrupted by company ground personnel during clearance. I (copilot), waited until captain could hear clearance readback. When I read back clearance, sfo clearance delivery concurred. However, I copied and read back the wrong initial altitude. We departed runway 10L at sfo and climbed to our initial altitude of 5000 ft MSL and leveled for approximately 10 seconds and was given a climb clearance to FL230 when bay departure asked our altitude and why we leveled at 5000 ft. Captain (PNF) responded it was given by sfo clearance delivery. When captain initially contacted bay departure he also gave them our present passing altitude and our initially assigned altitude of 5000 ft. We were flying from sfo on the dumbarton 5, linden transition. We had a crossing restr off the osi VOR to cross at or above 11000 ft MSL. Departure asked if we could make the crossing and the captain was not sure so he asked for relief. Relief was denied by bay departure. So, bay departure gave us a left turn off the SID for approximately 1/4 - 1/2 mi before rejoining SID. We did meet the crossing restr but were vectored off of SID. Captain asked departure if there was any problem with the leveloff at 5000 ft or the vector off course and he replied -- none. This is a good example why 2 people should monitor frequency while obtaining clearance. I still don't know if I was given the wrong initial altitude by clearance or I misunderstood the altitude. But, clearance confirmed readback and bay departure also confirmed altitude when captain initially checked on frequency. There was obviously a break in the system here. I did notice the crossing restr and did think to myself we were given an odd initial altitude and that the crossing would be close, but I assumed the initial altitude was for possibly inbound traffic to other airports nearby. I should have queried clearance delivery about our initially assigned altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN IFR CLRNC THAT A FLC COPIED CONTAINED AN ASSIGNED ALT THAT DIDN'T MATCH THE MINIMUM ALT XING RESTR ON THE SID. THE FLC MOMENTARILY LEVELED OFF AT THE ASSIGNED ALT BEFORE THE DEP CTLR GAVE THEM A CLRNC FOR FL230. ACR WAS VECTORED AWAY FROM THE SID BECAUSE THE FLC COULDN'T GUARANTEE THE CLB REQUIREMENT.

Narrative: I RETRIEVED AN AMENDED CLRNC FROM SFO CLRNC DELIVERY INSTEAD OF CUSTOMARY PDC. CAPT WAS MONITORING FREQ. HOWEVER, CAPT WAS INTERRUPTED BY COMPANY GND PERSONNEL DURING CLRNC. I (COPLT), WAITED UNTIL CAPT COULD HEAR CLRNC READBACK. WHEN I READ BACK CLRNC, SFO CLRNC DELIVERY CONCURRED. HOWEVER, I COPIED AND READ BACK THE WRONG INITIAL ALT. WE DEPARTED RWY 10L AT SFO AND CLBED TO OUR INITIAL ALT OF 5000 FT MSL AND LEVELED FOR APPROX 10 SECONDS AND WAS GIVEN A CLB CLRNC TO FL230 WHEN BAY DEP ASKED OUR ALT AND WHY WE LEVELED AT 5000 FT. CAPT (PNF) RESPONDED IT WAS GIVEN BY SFO CLRNC DELIVERY. WHEN CAPT INITIALLY CONTACTED BAY DEP HE ALSO GAVE THEM OUR PRESENT PASSING ALT AND OUR INITIALLY ASSIGNED ALT OF 5000 FT. WE WERE FLYING FROM SFO ON THE DUMBARTON 5, LINDEN TRANSITION. WE HAD A XING RESTR OFF THE OSI VOR TO CROSS AT OR ABOVE 11000 FT MSL. DEP ASKED IF WE COULD MAKE THE XING AND THE CAPT WAS NOT SURE SO HE ASKED FOR RELIEF. RELIEF WAS DENIED BY BAY DEP. SO, BAY DEP GAVE US A L TURN OFF THE SID FOR APPROX 1/4 - 1/2 MI BEFORE REJOINING SID. WE DID MEET THE XING RESTR BUT WERE VECTORED OFF OF SID. CAPT ASKED DEP IF THERE WAS ANY PROB WITH THE LEVELOFF AT 5000 FT OR THE VECTOR OFF COURSE AND HE REPLIED -- NONE. THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE WHY 2 PEOPLE SHOULD MONITOR FREQ WHILE OBTAINING CLRNC. I STILL DON'T KNOW IF I WAS GIVEN THE WRONG INITIAL ALT BY CLRNC OR I MISUNDERSTOOD THE ALT. BUT, CLRNC CONFIRMED READBACK AND BAY DEP ALSO CONFIRMED ALT WHEN CAPT INITIALLY CHKED ON FREQ. THERE WAS OBVIOUSLY A BREAK IN THE SYS HERE. I DID NOTICE THE XING RESTR AND DID THINK TO MYSELF WE WERE GIVEN AN ODD INITIAL ALT AND THAT THE XING WOULD BE CLOSE, BUT I ASSUMED THE INITIAL ALT WAS FOR POSSIBLY INBOUND TFC TO OTHER ARPTS NEARBY. I SHOULD HAVE QUERIED CLRNC DELIVERY ABOUT OUR INITIALLY ASSIGNED ALT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.